Senate Republicans say House Democrat’s $3 trillion coronavirus stimulus bill is dead on arrival

The House of Representatives is poised to vote on an additional $3 trillion coronavirus stimulus package, which all sides acknowledge will go nowhere in the Senate despite the White House’s reported interest in a second round of individual stimulus checks.

Even some moderate Democrats have expressed opposition to the 1,800-page bill set to go to a House vote on Friday, though Speaker Nancy Pelosi is confident it will pass in the Democrat-controlled lower chamber.

Pelosi acknowledged that the Democrats’ massive HEROES Act has little chance of becoming law, saying on Thursday: ‘We’re putting our offer on the table, we’re open to negotiation.’

President Donald Trump is open to negotiations on another possible stimulus bill, but not the one put forward by House Democrats, a White House spokeswoman said on Thursday.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell attends a luncheon on Capitol Hill on Thursday. All sides acknowledge that the House bill will not pass the Senate as written

Kayleigh McEnany told reporters at the White House that the president ‘was taking his time’ to weigh what – if any – more federal action was needed. 

‘He’s open to it,’ she added, saying he would like to see a payroll tax cut but that it was not a requirement. 

The White House is also open to a new round of individual stimulus checks, similar to the ones that paid many citizens $1,200 as part of the $2 trillion CARES Act, sources told CNBC.

The massive House bill contains a provision for such stimulus checks, but also includes what Republicans call a Democrat wish-list of items, including amnesty for some illegal immigrants and provisions for widespread mail-in voting in November.

Intended to stem the economic devastation caused by pandemic lockdowns, which have put more than 35 million Americans out of work, the package contains a laundry list of items.

The Democrats’ HEROES Act includes, according to a summary: 

• Nearly $1 trillion in relief for state and local governments 
• Second round of payments of $1,200 per person, up to $6,000 per household 
• About $200 billion for hazard pay for essential workers 
• $75 billion for coronavirus testing and contact tracing 
• An extension of the $600 per week federal unemployment insurance benefit through January (the provision approved in March is set to expire after July) 
• $175 billion in rent, mortgage and utility assistance 
• Subsidies and a special Affordable Care Act enrollment period to people who lose their employer-sponsored health coverage 
• More money for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, including a 15 percent increase in the maximum benefit 
• More small business payroll assistance including $10 billion in emergency disaster assistance grants and a strengthened employee retention tax credit 
• Funding to expanding voting by mail for the November elections 
• Relief for the U.S. Postal Service 

President Donald Trump is open to negotiations on another possible stimulus bill, but not the one put forward by House Democrats, a White House spokeswoman said

Republicans have called the House bill ‘dead on arrival’ and it is unlikely the Senate will take it up, though Senate Republicans are believed to be drafting their own proposal. 

Some moderate Democrats have also criticized the measure, while the progressive wing of the party has complained that it doesn’t go far enough.

Freshman Democratic Rep. Kendra Horn, a moderate who flipped an Oklahoma House seat from red to blue in 2018, blasted the House bill and said she won’t vote for it. 

‘This is not the time for partisan gamesmanship, this is the time to find common ground and deliver help where it is needed most,’ Horn said in a statement.

‘In response to COVID-19, our relief efforts must be targeted, timely, and transparent. The HEROES Act does not meet those standards,’ she added.

Rep. Tom O’Halleran of Arizona, the co-chair of the centrist Democrats’ Blue Dog Coalition, expressed concerns about the way the lengthy bill was being rushed to a vote.

‘While I recognize the many merits of the Heroes Act, I also know that this bill is over 1800 pages long, won’t receive a hearing or markup, and hasn’t passed through appropriate Committees of jurisdiction.’ O’Halleran wrote in a tweet. 

‘I’m concerned that there hasn’t been enough accountability or oversight in this process. I will continue to review this legislation to ensure that the allocated resources directly aid #AZ01 families,’ he continued.